This article was written before the Lahaina Fires on 8/8/2023. Old Lahaina Town is destroyed and travel and tourism in West Maui is closed until 10/8/23. Please be aware of the current situation on the Island while reading any previously written information about the Island of Maui. While the island needs tourism to survive, many people and businesses mentioned in this article lost their premises and employees lost their homes so unfortunately, may not be operating at this time. Please continue to be mindful of the ongoing situation on Maui while planning your trip and visiting the island. Current information regarding Travel to Maui at this time can be found HERE. Our thoughts and condolences are with our Maui Ohana during this devastating time. Mahalo for your consideration and understanding.
Maui is blessed with an incredible coastline, warm, calm clear waters can be found on some parts of the island most days. These waters are filled with a great variety of spectacular life. On top of this, it is located within striking distance of some incredible dive locations on its neighboring islands. With a steady flow of tourists running through the Islands, resorts have ensured the Dive industry has flourished on the Island.
Naturally, this means there are a large number of Dive operators that have sprung up to meet the demand. This is good for everyone, as it means the quality stays high and the prices stay low. However, knowing who the Best Maui Dive Operators are can prove tricky! This is where our guide on who to dive with on Maui, Hawaii comes in.
We take a look at all of Maui’s best Dive Shops and Tour Operators to show you who to dive with. We take a look at the costs and what dives they offer. If you want to know more about the dive sites on offer take a look at our Maui Dive spots Guide here.
Maui Diving – What to Expect
Diving in Maui is generally Excellent. The waters are generally clear with Visibility from 30-60ft and mostly calm, with only moderate currents. Many Bays and walls provide shelter from the rougher waters and mean diving can be very relaxed.
Match this to abundant Marine life and you can expect some very good diving indeed. Maui’s Coral is not the best in the world. The Island Chain is so remote that only certain Corals have actually made it out to colonize the islands. These are sturdy hardy corals that can survive the crossing and can take Hawaii’s Brutal winter storms. While abundant the coral lacks the color and intricacy of some tropical reefs.
This is made up by the abundant reef fish of stunning color, variety, and abundance. At some sites, it is literally Raining fish. There are also plenty of exotic pelagic species such as Manta Rays, Trevally, Dolphins, Tuna, Barracuda, Sharks, and Humpback Whales. Day Octopus, Moray Eels, and Eagle rays are also regular sights. For a full guide to all of Maui’s wonderful Reef Fish check out our Hawaiian Reef Fish Identification Guide.
Every winter Nov-Apr the Humpback Whales arrive for their winter holidays. Basking in Maui’s warm Channel waters after a winter in the Arctic feeding. They spend their trip breeding and playing in the water and on most dives their song can be heard echoing through the water. On certain sites, you may even be lucky enough to encounter one.
And of course, the star of the show is Maui’s incredible Honu. Giant Green Sea Turtles that make their home on Maui’s shores in HUGE numbers. Most dives will encounter several turtles. They are so frequent regular divers soon overlook them but the first few encounters are really magical.
Weather
Water temps are good. In winter they dip only as low as 75°F (24°C) and top out at 86°F (30°C). This makes for pleasant diving year-round. Match this with similarly pleasant year-round air temps and there is never a reason not to hit the water. In fact, winter diving is some of the best and most popular due to the arrival of Humpback Whales.
Maui’s Climate is very stable and the island enjoys a lot of days of calm and serene weather days. But its location in the middle of the Pacific can mean bad weather moves in. High Winds and Large swells do not make for safe diving and there is a chance your trip will be called off. This can be deeply disappointing but most dive centers will allow you to reschedule, and will also appreciate you are probably on vacation and this is not always possible. In this case, if THEY cancel the trip, you will get a refund.
Winter definitely increases the chance of rough water conditions, but most of the time Trips are altered rather than canceled, often moved to secluded inshore locations. There is normally somewhere to Dive along Maui’s Coastline.
Shore Diving
Many of Maui’s great dive sites are accessible via a shore dive. Here you will meet up at the Dive center, discuss the day then head out to the dive site before entering via the beach and diving the site via a surface swim.
These dives are typically laid-back, intimate affairs with small groups. They are universally Cheaper too. However, they are limited in where the dives can take place. They need to be within reach with a short surface swim and have decent water access. They are usually a bit of a faff too. But they suit people looking for relaxed diving in small groups. They are also great for beginners looking to get into diving.
It’s worth remembering when chasing the high-profile adventure dives, that some of Maui’s best sites are actually found right off the shore
Boat Dives
We feel the best diving on Maui is done from a boat. From a boat, you have access to so many more dive opportunities. While some Shore dives can feel like glorified snorkel’s, the range and access a boat provides means you really can get to the best Maui has to offer.
Everything is more in one place too and things just feel more organized and efficient. Most boat Dives are 2+ Tank trips and offer lunch and snacks along with full Valet Service. This makes diving effortless. It does come at a price though. But competition means the prices are at least low “for Hawaii”
Our Maui Dive Videos
Find more videos over on our YouTube Channel
Dive Centre Locations?
There are two main locations for Diving in Maui and this can have a big say in which company you choose. It is often best to pick a Dive Center more local to where you are staying to avoid a long drive every time you are Diving.
In West Maui, Lahaina is the Main location for Dive Centers. Boat Dives will leave from the Habor or Mala Boat Ramp. Shore dives will obviously be from the location of the dive but their center will usually be in Lahaina while a few are based in Kaanapali.
South Maui and the majority are based in Kihei, Boat dives depart from Kihei Boat Ramp or from Maalaea Habor. While shore dives will be based on the dive site.
We list the Location of every Tour Operator and state where they depart their tours from.
Lahaina Dive Centers
Lahaina Divers
- Location – Lahaina – Lahaina Habour
- Dive Types – Full Valet Boat Dives
- Average Cost – $229-329 per Two Tank Trip ($329 for their 3 tank Lanai)
- Rental Gear Cost – $41-50 per Charter
- Dives Available – Maui Coast, Molokini/Backwall, Lanai, Lanai Drift, Molokai
We won’t make any secret of the fact that when we dive in Maui we use Lahaina Divers. There are several reasons we chose them over the competition but the main one is they just dive at the best sites. They are the only operator to head to Molokai and offer the Lanai Adventure Drift Dive. They do regular Lanai Trips and offer a great Molokai Backwall experience. This is enough for us, but we love the way they operate as well.
They are one of the longest-running outfits on Maui and this really shows they have their operation down to a tee and running like a well-oiled machine. Every eventuality is considered and everything runs ultra-smooth. They used to offer an amazing Deli lunch but this was downsized due to Covid and now the food offered is pretty meager, just some chips, some packaged snacks like cereal bars, and a bit f fruit, and of course, the prices have soared.
Their 2 Boats; The Dauntless and Dominion are well-equipped and perfect for dive operations. They are large boats and ride the surf well. Which is just as well as they do come across some pretty wild conditions on their channel crossings! Their crews run these boats and dive operations in a fairly military Manor. We like this, as there is no doubt what you need to be doing at any one time, but for some, it comes across as a little unfriendly and cold, even rude. It is just their way but if this is likely to be a turn off consider going elsewhere.
For us, the only real downside is their popularity. The Big boats can take 24 people and this is a lot of divers on any one site. While they will be broken into groups of <8 (+guide) it is still a busy dive vessel. The top decks are fantastic places to chill out between dives and crossings, but they can get a bit wet and wild at times!
Every Guide we have had has been excellent and offers a thorough, Safety focused briefing before each dive, and have conducted the dives in a safe and customer-led way. Dive times have been very long and we regularly leave the water voluntarily rather than due to air/Deco/being ordered out.
Their Gear is always excellent. Probably the best rental gear we have used (we have no room in our cases for dive gear!) and is replaced yearly. The Last dive out we had practically new BCD’s.
Overall there is not a lot we don’t like and they are always our first port of call. And if you want the Advanced special dives the area offers they are the ONLY choice.
Maui Diving
- Location – Lahaina
- Dive Types – Shore Diving
- Average Cost – $129+ One Tank – $169+ Two Tank
- Rental Gear Cost – Included
- Dives Available – Mala Pier – Manta Point – Black Rock – Turtle Town
Maui Diving is a great choice for those looking for some really nice laid-back shore dicing. Groups are typically really small. 3-4 Divers per guide. The Dive shop is really well-equipped and transports you and your gear to the Dive sites in vans. It’s really nice that rental gear is included, and they offer some of the best sites in West Maui.
We have never been successful with their Manta dive, it’s a little optimistic in our opinion, but their other sites are excellent. Mala Pier is such a great dive site and they take you to either Blackrock (Backewall) or Airport beach as a second dive. If you book multiple dives they really make sure you dive a good array of sites and never take you to the same one twice, except maybe Mala Pier which is always worth diving twice (and more)
Overall, it’s a great little outfit and you can get almost twice the amount of actual diving for your money compared with the big boat operators!
Extended Horizons
- Location – Lahaina – Mala Boat Ramp
- Dive Types – Full Valet Boat Dives, Shore Diving
- Average Cost – $400 per Two Tank Boat Trip
- Rental Gear Cost – Included
- Dives Available – Maui Coast, Carthaginian, Lanai
Extended Horizons operates out of Lahaina and their boat launches from the Mala Boat ramp. Extended Horizons are another long-running company that has been operating out of Lahaina for decades. While they may lack the “Top Gun” Dives of Lahaina Divers they make up for this with a much smaller friendlier operation.
They cover all the best Maui Ocean dives but the highlight is their daily Lanai trips. They take small groups across the channel for some fantastic and intermate dives on some of the best dive sites of Lanai.
Extended Horizons are a great choice if you want to mix shore diving with some great Boat Diving as they offer some great shore destinations on top of their excellent boat trips.
In2Scuba Diving Maui
- Location – Airport Beach
- Dive Types – Beginner Shore Dives
- Average Cost – $129 Introductory Diver Course – $215 3-tank Certified Shore Dives
- Rental Gear Cost – $Included in Tour Price
- Dives Available – Maui Coast – Mala Pier, Airport Beach, Black Rock, Night Dives
We came to Maui as Experienced and Certified Divers so we don’t have that much experience with the “beginner” Dive outfits. However, one operation really rises to the surface in this regard. In2Scuba. We never hear a bad thing said about them and every customer we have heard of has nothing but praise for them.
They specialize in Shore diving and particularly for first-timers and people learning to dive. But their small friendly groups are great for anyone wanting a relaxed easy dive at one of West Maui’s shoreline reefs.
This is a far cry from the all-action dives offered by the big-budget operators but with the number of positive reviews, these guys get if you are just starting out or looking for some relaxed dives you will not be disappointed.
Banyan Tree Divers
- Location – Lahaina
- Dive Types – Full Valet Boat Dives
- Average Cost – $129 Introductory Dive – $109 Per Dive Certified ($99 second Tank)
- Rental Gear Cost – Included
- Dives Available – Maui Coast – Mala Pier, Airport Beach, Black Rock, Night Dives
Another Small Dive Operator doing business out of Lahaina. Very Similar to In2Scuba. They keep groups very small and focus on great shore diving and beginner groups. Like In2Scuba they also receive endless Rave Reviews, but again we don’t have a lot of personal experience with them as we are off chasing the Adventure dives…
Kihei Dive Centers
Island Style Diving (Mike Severns Diving)
- Location – Kihei Boat Ramp
- Dive Types – Educational Boat Dives
- Average Cost – $229 per Two Tank Boat Trip
- Rental Gear Cost – $30 per Charter
- Dives Available – Molokini and South Maui Sites
Mike Severns used to be one of the best operators on the Island, but after 42 years they have called it a day. The business was sold to new owners who are operating under the Island Style Diver name.
You are going to lose a little of what made Mike Severns so special as that was the expert guide, Pauline Fiene who was basically more of fish than person, far more at home in the water and with just incredible knowledge. But the new owners intend to carry on the traditions.
You will still get small dive groups and expert guides taking you to all of South Maui’s best dive sites. Including the incredible Backwall of Molokini.
Maui Dive Shop
- Location – Maalaea Harbor
- Dive Types – Full Valet Boat Diving
- Average Cost – $189.00 per Two Tank Boat Trip
- Rental Gear Cost – $50 per Charter
- Dives Available – Maui Coast, Molokini + Backwall, Lanai
Maui Dive Shop is South Maui’s BIG operator. Maka Koa is their specialist dive boat that takes up to 24 divers out to many of the best sites in Maui. They offer trips to Molokini, The Backwall, and Lanai along with the more usual Maui Coast Dives. One particularly good dive is the Manta Ray Dive. This takes you to the Manta Cleaning station at mile Marker 13 where Manta Sitings are Guaranteed (Free 2 Tank dive if not!).
Maui Dive Shop is a full Valet service meaning you will get breakfast, lunch, and snacks while aboard and everything will be done for you. They even offer complimentary shuttles from the resort areas. If you want a top-quality Dive with zero hassle or fuss, just turn up and dive. then this is the South Maui operator for you.
Pro Diver
- Location – Kihei – Kihei Boat Ramp
- Dive Types – Training, Shore, and Boat Dives
- Average Cost – $229 per Two Tank Boat Trip
- Rental Gear Cost – $49 per Charter
- Dives Available – South Maui Shore + Molokini Backwall
A Smaller company offering Boat dives to the Backwall only with a second stop at one of south Maui’s top sites. Pro Divers boat is a smaller craft than most allowing for Fewer divers and a more intermate group.
They also offer guided shore dives and have their own pool for dive training. They are a great option for anyone wanting to learn to dive and progress to the Backwall in one trip.
NeverDry
- Location – Kihei – Kihei Boat Ramp
- Dive Types – Training, Shore, and Boat Dives
- Average Cost – $169 2 Tank Introductory Dive – $145 2 Tank Shore Dive
- Rental Gear Cost – $included
- Dives Available – South Maui Shore dives
NeverDry is our recommendation for anyone looking to take their first steps into diving. They offer a full PADI Open Water Course for $449 or a $139 Two Tank Intro dive which is a great value. Their shore Diving is also a snip at $145 for two dives for certified divers.
They are a pretty new company who are getting rave reviews and offer laid-back shore diving in really small groups.
Now you have your preferred Operator sorted it’s time to decide which sites you want to Dive to, there is a lot of choice on Maui so check out our full guide below:
Best Maui Dive Sites – Full Guide
Maui Reef Fish Guide
Have Your Say
Who do You Dive with on Maui? Do you prefer the big operators or the smaller more specialist dive companies? Have you had a particularly good or bad experience with any operator? Let us know in the comments below. If you have any questions about any of the operators on Maui just leave a comment and we will be happy to answer.
We are traveling in June for a graduation trip for my son and 16th birthday for daughter. Both have done snuba and an intro dive…they are ready to become certified. We’d like to stay near Kaanapali…any recommendations near there? Are we crazy to drive back and forth to Kihei where most of your recommended shops are located? Thanks for advice!
Hi Erin,
There are a few dive centers around Lahaina and Kaanapali that are far more convenient. Our Favourite is dive Center is Lahaina Divers and that is just a few mins from Kaanapali in the center of Lahaina. Alternatively, Extended Horizons also sail from Lahaina but from the Mala Boat ramp rather than the harbor. Both of these are big companies and we easily get your family certified and then maybe you can fit in your first certified dives over on Lanai or Molokini. There are also smaller operators in the area, In2Scuba, who operate out of Airport beach, and Banyan Tree Divers who operate at various Shore locations and are based in Lahaina, these smaller operators often have very small class sizes and a more personal feel.
As you can see there are lots of choices and there really is no need to head all the way over to Kehei, it’s a good hour each way, and not great uses of your vacation, and dive courses usually start early so the extra 30-40mins in bed may be appealing! The Dive Schools in Kehei are great, but we tend to dive close to where we are staying.
Whatever you choose, SERIOUSLY consider an openwater Referal, With this, you find a local dive school and do all your classroom and confined water dives at home. Then when you head out to Maui, you simply complete the open water dives, after that you are certified. There is a lot of book work, theory and pool work to complete for your openwater, Do you really want to be sat in a classroom taking tests on Maui? It can cost a little more but it is so worth it!
This way you will simply do 4 dives (2days) on Maui and be certified meaning you can use the other 2 days where you would be doing classwork to dive some of Maui’s better sites!
Have a GREAT time, diving on Maui is incredible…in fact, everything on Maui is incredible!
Steve